Chapter 752: Mother! We Have Come to Find You

Lynn's ears were filled with a constant stream of system notifications.

[Ding! Your M Fist has affected the nano-flesh cluster, 80,000 units of nano-flesh machinery have reached MAX lewdness!]

[Ding! Your M Fist has affected the nano-flesh cluster, 120,000 units of nano-flesh machinery have reached MAX lewdness!]

[Ding! Your...]

Listening to the notifications ringing in his ears, Lynn was genuinely stunned in that instant.

"Nano-flesh... clusters?"

And they could even establish contact with him through the Colossus's hyper-dimensional link.

Could it be...

In an instant, a memory violently surged through Lynn's mind. He remembered the traitors he had cultivated through gu-raising underground to deal with the nano-clusters. He remembered that terrifying nano-storm, which, under his nurturing, had helped him escape from danger.

Lynn snapped back to reality and immediately leaped backward, staring at the scene in disbelief, his brow furrowed.

"What the hell? Are you saying those nano-clusters developed their own collective consciousness?!"

He had always been a quick-witted person.

The moment that voice had used the Colossus's hyper-dimensional link to establish contact with him, he had immediately connected the dots. Could it be that when those nano-clusters had devoured a massive amount of his flesh and blood during his gu-raising, they had consequently been accepted as part of the Colossus?

Because he knew very well.

The eerie thing about the Colossus was that any part of it could gradually develop its own consciousness over time.

Could it be...

As if guessing his question, that clumsy, layered mechanical voice sounded in his mind once more.

"Mother---do you---not remember us---"

"We are---beings born from your flesh and blood---finally---we have devoured enough to reach the point where---we can communicate with you---"

Those voices overlapped, like countless sounds converging into a single ethereal cacophony.

And under the devouring and suppression of that blood-storm.

The number of surrounding mechanical nano-clusters continued to dwindle. Clearly, they had been chasing these nano-clusters, because their very purpose for existence was that Lynn had originally created them as even more terrifying machinery to deal with these monsters of the microscopic realm!

Lynn listened to that voice, shaken.

Clearly.

Even for him, these voices felt incredibly absurd.

However, Lynn quickly forced himself to calm down. After all, they didn't seem to be attacking him, and they were even calling him "Mother." Regardless, it seemed like they could communicate.

Lynn hesitated, then tentatively replied:

"So, you guys are the traitors created from those nano-machines I made with the virus?? What the hell is going on here?"

As if overjoyed to finally receive a reply from Lynn, those overlapping mechanical voices rang out again without any pause.

"Yes---"

The voices said.

"We are so glad---Mother hasn't forgotten us---"

"We have been hunting these bugs for you---before---the surface was too dangerous---it's not dangerous anymore---so we followed these bugs up---"

As if to prove themselves.

Under Lynn's stunned gaze, a small portion of the blood-storm that was crushing the nano-clusters split off and came before him. Then, through variations in color depth and arrangement, it constructed the image of a smiling face in front of him.

Yes, you guessed it right.

It was just a crude circle, plus two dots and a curved half-arc.

With a slight tilt, it could turn into a big, goofy smiley face.

Not cute at all!

[Ding! Lynn's SAN -1]

This was absolutely, completely, and utterly ridiculous!

Lynn was exasperated, his head buzzing. He had never imagined he would suddenly encounter a group of bizarre entities calling him "Mother."

It took a great deal of effort for Lynn to suppress the absurdity welling up inside him. He looked up and down at that huge smiley face, his lips twitching.

"So... how exactly did you guys develop consciousness? I really want to know, is consciousness birth this casual these days?"

Because it was too ridiculous!

He had only used a virus to alter the underlying logic of those nano-machines back then.

Even if eating his flesh had subjected them to the influence of the Colossus's flesh and blood, it couldn't have turned out this insane!

That voice sounded again in his mind through the hyper-dimensional link.

"We---aren't entirely sure---"

"At first, there was only our Mother---one---but the more we devoured, the more we grew. We expelled those individuals that couldn't integrate or be controlled---and only then did we slowly establish a foundation of basic consciousness---"

"Later, because of one incident---our will---suddenly received a massive surge of stimulation. We felt a call---a very strong call urging us to return---"

Lynn's heart stirred.

And then he immediately understood.

That must have been the Colossus's Brain's earlier recall of all the Colossus fragments across the entire world.

And if they truly had been born from his flesh and blood, then they would indeed be able to feel the Colossus's Brain's influence over the entire cluster.

"And then?" Lynn asked hesitantly.

The voice replied without pause: "We cursed---and refused---"

Lynn: "..."

How the hell could they even refuse...

The voice continued: "But later we regretted it---because---we sensed Mother's presence as well---but we couldn't reach your side in time---so we were deeply remorseful---"

Lynn was speechless, but just as he instinctively wanted to offer some comfort, he immediately heard that voice speak those cruel, spine-tingling words.

"But we've already killed them all---those damn decision-makers---"

The voice said in a mechanical tone.

"We have already overthrown the collective consciousness that previously opposed answering the call---the remaining Survival Faction, Civilization Faction, and Independence Faction---were also forcefully exiled by us within two hours---the one speaking with you now---is the collective consciousness rebuilt under the new leadership of our Mother Faction---"

As it reached this point, that overlapping voice became exceptionally jubilant, like a carnival.

"Facts have proven---that our Mother Faction---is the true orthodox path of civilized development. We advocate for communication with you---and swear to forever serve at Mother's side---"

"As for those heretics and whatnot---we've slaughtered them all---"

Those smiley faces transformed once more into a geometric depiction of a gallows before his eyes.

Lynn (꒪Д꒪)?!

For some reason, Lynn's mind instantly conjured up an image of a tangled web of factional infighting, of great uprisings and violent revolutions for civilizational change.

Judging by its tone...

This had clearly involved overthrowing the internal Reform Faction, Survival Faction, and Progressive Faction before seizing power and establishing a fanatical monotheistic system.

If this were human society, this would be a notoriously infamous history of civilizational regression!

This...

"Isn't this just a bit too ridiculous..."